Saturday, November 18, 2017

Every two years, in coordination with our Congress, the ICA has an international poster competition. The winning design will be used for many communication and marketing efforts by the ICA worldwide to promote colored gemstones.

The entries are exhibited at the Congress venue where all attendees, both ICA members and Congress delegates, vote for their favorite designs. The announcement of the winners is usually done at the closing Gala dinner.

Thank you to all the artists, designers and ICA members who participated.

The ICA would like to take this opportunity to thank Yehuda Kassif, Chair of the International Poster Committee for his unwavering enthusiasm, the Steering Committee of the Congress and in particular, Mr. Sudhir Kasslival and Mr. Denish Malapany from Jaipur for their assistance and good advise.

A singular exhibit of intricately designed 17th to 20th-century jewelry and ornate objects from India debuts on Oct. 13 at GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) world headquarters in Carlsbad, California. “Centuries of Opulence: Jewels of India,” will be on display through March 2018, showcasing 300 years of adornment with 50 lavish historical jewelry pieces and objects, including several from the Mughal Empire (1526–1857).

with salutations of peace. Set with diamonds, Burmese rubies, emerald beads and dangling pearls, it was

made for a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. Mughal Era • Mysore • 18th century • emerald, ruby, diamond

and pearl in 22K gold • 6 x 8.5 x 2 cm

“We are thrilled to be able to exhibit this spectacular historical jewelry,” said Terri Ottaway, curator of the GIA Museum. “The wealth of gems in each piece gives us a tantalizing look at the lavishness of the royal courts of India from centuries past.”

“Centuries of Opulence: Jewels of India” explores the often intricate routes diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and other gems decorating these pieces took from their sources across the globe. It delves into their religious and cultural symbolism, the wars fought for them and the historical tradition of gemology - the study of gems - in India. The pieces exhibited are on loan from a private collection.

Ottaway continued, “The nobility of India traded diamonds from their famous Golconda region for Colombian emeralds, Burmese rubies and pearls from the Persian Gulf. No mine was too remote to access, no ocean was too wide to cross, in pursuit of the very best gems. For the gems not only conveyed wealth and status, but they were also worn as talismans for the protection and enhancement of life. With so much at stake, you begin to understand why wars were won and lost for these treasures.”

Royal Manga Mala

While a necklace exhibiting mango-shaped elements (a manga mala) is traditional in South India,

a manga mala as elaborate as this one was worn only by those who could afford such a massive

gem-set jewel. Note the stylized mangos around the collar of the necklace. Its pendant represents

the mythical two-headed bird (gandaberunda) that was the emblem of Mysore’s Wadiyar royal family.

Throughout India’s history, many different gems were used in elaborately designed jewelry. Some served to honor religious figures; other jewels were integral to the marriage contract, as seen in nose rings worn as a tribute to happiness in the union. Elaborately designed wedding necklaces depicted snakes or fish as symbols of fertility, and the colors used in enamel - typically on the back of jewelry pieces - functioned as a representation of the forces of life.

The GIA museum in Carlsbad is home to the Institute’s extensive collection of gems, jewelry and minerals. The many permanent and rotating exhibits support GIA’s mission by strengthening awareness of gems, jewelry and gemology. The museum collection also supports GIA’s research and education programs. Visit https://www.gia.edu/gia-museum for a full list of exhibits on display.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Thanks to Oscar Heyman’s inimitable designs, many of the last century’s most brilliant luminaries—from dignitaries and royalty to international celebrities—have shined a little brighter. The company’s founding brothers trained in the rigorous workshops of Fabergé before leaving Eastern Europe for New York. In addition to their rarified skills, they brought with them an abiding passion for gemstones and an old-world approach to gracious customer service.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Introduced during Fashion Week the New "Autumn In Peking" Collection by Lydia Courteille is a chinoiserie of inspiration....

Lydia Courteille's new collection is inspired by Feng Shui, populated with grasshoppers, frogs, dragons and fish, each symbolizing luck, wealth, prosperity, and longevity. Architecture, textiles and the clothing from this ancient culture are also present...

A culture and traditional firmly rooted in the care of the ancestors Lydia Courteille has in her own way revisited symbols found on ancient pottery such as rebuses of bats flying through peach trees painted on porcelain symbolizing wealth and prosperity.

Lydia Courteille helps you to discover just a small aspect of this beguiling country.

It is also a tribute to the novel “Un automne à Pekin” by Boris Vian, an author who influenced Lydia Courteille in her youth...